Transcript of Bob Costas interview with Jerry Sandusky

18:54:31:00 Mr. Sandusky, there's a 40-count indictment. The grand jury report contains specific detail. There are multiple accusers, multiple eyewitnesses to various aspects of the abuse. A reasonable person says where there's this much smoke, there must be plenty of fire. What do you say?

JERRY SANDUSKY:

18:54:50:00 I say that I am innocent of those charges.

BOB COSTAS:

18:54:55:00 Innocent? Completely innocent and falsely accused in every aspect?

JERRY SANDUSKY:

18:55:00:00 Well I could say that, you know, I have done some of those things. I have horsed around with kids. I — I have showered after workouts. I — I have hugged them and I — I have touched their leg. Without intent of sexual contact. But — so if — if you look at it that way — there are things that — that — wouldn't — you know, would be accurate.

BOB COSTAS:

18:55:33:00 Are you denying that you had any inappropriate sexual contact with any of these underage boys?

JERRY SANDUSKY:

18:55:36:00 Yes, I — yes I am.

BOB COSTAS:

18:55:40:00 Never touched their genitals? Never engaged in oral sex?

JERRY SANDUSKY:

18:55:43:00 Right.

BOB COSTAS:

18:55:45:00 What about Mike McQueary (PH), the grad assistant who in 2002 walked into the shower where he says in specific detail that you were forcibly raping a boy who appeared to be ten or 11 years old? That his hands were up against the shower wall and he heard rhythmic slap, slap, slapping sounds and he described that as a rape?

JERRY SANDUSKY:

18:56:08:00 I would say that that's false.

BOB COSTAS:

18:56:10:00 What would be his motive to lie?

JERRY SANDUSKY:

18:56:12:00 You'd have to ask him that.

BOB COSTAS:

18:56:14:00 Are you a pedophile?

JERRY SANDUSKY:

18:56:16:00 No.

BOB COSTAS:

18:56:18:00 How would you account for so many accusations coming from different people at different times, many of whom undoubtedly feel shame over this, so they have no apparent motive to expose themselves to what might come along with this. They have no apparent motive. You have an obvious motive to either deny to yourself or to deny to us what you've been accused of. What's their motive to make the accusations?

JERRY SANDUSKY:

18:56:46:00 I can't account for, you know, their motives to make those allegations. I — you know, that's not for me to say. That would be for them to say.

BOB COSTAS:

18:56:54:00 What did happen in the shower the night that Mike McQueary happened upon you and the young boy?

JERRY SANDUSKY:

18:57:03:00 Okay, we — we were showing and — and horsing around. And he actually turned all the showers on and was — actually sliding — across the — the floor. And — and we were — as I recall possibly like snapping a towel, horseplay.

BOB COSTAS:

18:57:24:00 In 1998, a mother confronts you about taking a shower with her son and inappropriately touching him. Two detectives eavesdrop on a conversation with you, and you admit that maybe your private parts touched her son. What happened there?

JERRY SANDUSKY:

18:57:41:00 I can't exactly recall what was said there. In terms of — what I did say was that if he felt that way, then I was wrong, and I didn't want to leave that kind of impression. I did lift him. And — that's what I said.

BOB COSTAS:

18:58:09:00 During one of those conversations, you said, "I understand, I was wrong, I wish I could get forgiveness," speaking now with the mother. "I know I won't get it from you. I wish I were dead." A guy falsely accused or a guy whose actions have been misinterpreted doesn't respond that way, does he?

JERRY SANDUSKY:

18:58:29:00 I don't know. I didn't say, to my recollection that I wish I were dead. I — I was hopeful that we could reconcile things. And maintain some kind of relationship which we have done for many, many years. And she was very assertive at making sure that we were connected.

BOB COSTAS:

18:58:57:00 You say you're not a pedophile.

JERRY SANDUSKY:

18:58:58:00 Right.

BOB COSTAS:

18:58:59:00 But you're a man who by his own admission has showered with young boys, highly inappropriate. Who has continually put himself in the presence of young boys, volunteer high school coach, volunteer at a small local college, even after — you were largely disassociated from Penn States. Multiple reports of you getting into bed with young boys who stayed at your house in a room in the basement. How do you account for these things? And if you're not a pedophile, then what are you?

JERRY SANDUSKY:

18:59:30:00 Well I'm a person that has taken a strong interest. I'm a very passionate person in terms of trying to make a difference in the lives of some young people. I worked very hard to try to connect with them. To make them feel good about themselves. To — be something significant in their lives. Maybe this gets misinterpreted, has gotten depending on — I know a lot of young people where it hasn't. I have worked with many, many young people where there has been no misinterpretation of my actions and I have made a very significant difference in their lives.

BOB COSTAS:

19:00:28:00 But isn't what you're just describing the classic MO of many pedophiles? And that is that they gain the trust of young people, they don't necessarily abuse every young person. There were hundreds, if not thousands of young boys you came into contact with, but there are allegations that at least eight of them were victimized. Many people believe there are more to come. So it's entirely possible that you could've helped young boy A in some way that was not objectionable while horribly taking advantage of young boy B, C, D, and E. Isn't that possible?

JERRY SANDUSKY:

19:01:01:00 Well — you might think that. I don't know. (LAUGHS) In terms of — my relationship with so many, many young people. I would — I would guess that there are many young people who would come forward. Many more young people who would come forward and say that my methods and — and what I had done for them made a very positive impact on their life. And I didn't go around seeking out every young person for sexual needs that I've helped. There are many that I didn't have — I hardly had any contact with who I have helped in many, many ways.

BOB COSTAS:

19:01:47:00 Are you sexually attracted to young boys, to underage boys?

JERRY SANDUSKY:

19:01:52:00 Am I sexually attracted to underage boys?

BOB COSTAS:

19:01:55:00 Yes.

JERRY SANDUSKY:

19:01:57:00 Sexually attracted, you know, I — I enjoy young people. I — I love to be around them. I — I — but no I'm not sexually attracted to young boys.

BOB COSTAS:

19:02:12:00 When Mike McQueary saw what he says was a rape in the shower in 2002, he reported it the next day to Joe Paterno. To your knowledge, did Joe Paterno have any information regarding objectionable activities on your part prior to that report in 2002?

JERRY SANDUSKY:

19:02:30:00 My — I — I can't totally answer that question. My answer would be no. I mean, that would be my guess. That I don't think he had information.

BOB COSTAS:

19:02:41:00 If there had been a thorough investigation of you in 1998, or in 2002 either by university officials or by local law enforcement, would something have come out of that that would've been damaging to Joe Paterno and Penn State beyond the initial embarrassment of having a prominent coach so accused, which might hurt recruiting, might hurt image. Was there something there that Penn State officials had reason to fear?

JERRY SANDUSKY:

19:03:09:00 Well I think that will be determined as — as this is evaluated. If — if people give it a chance to be evaluated, then I think that will be up to people to decide whether or not there would've been loss — for Joe Paterno and if they — if that had been evaluated as it's going to be.

BOB COSTAS:

19:03:30:00 Did Joe Paterno at any time ever speak to you directly about your behavior?

JERRY SANDUSKY:

19:03:36:00 No.

BOB COSTAS:

19:03:37:00 Never?

JERRY SANDUSKY:

19:03:38:00 No.

BOB COSTAS:

19:03:39:00 You were around the program, you used the weight room up until recently. You were seen at Penn State events. How did Joe Paterno greet you? What was your interaction like with him subsequent to 2002?

JERRY SANDUSKY:

19:03:54:00 He greeted me as he always had if I saw him at — football practice. It was cordial. We didn't see each other very much. I — the last time I saw him was this summer — at a golf outing. And — we talked briefly, but he was — he was among a lot of people at that time.

BOB COSTAS:

19:04:16:00 He never asked you about what you might have done? He never asked you if you needed help? If you needed counseling?

JERRY SANDUSKY:

19:04:20:00 No. No.

BOB COSTAS:

19:04:23:00 Never? Never expressed disapproval of any kind?

JERRY SANDUSKY:

19:04:26:00 No.

BOB COSTAS:

19:04:27:00 In 1999, you retired from the Penn State football program. You were in your mid-50's, highly successful assistant coach. You had been told you would never succeed Joe Paterno, but you would've been a prime candidate given all your success and the prestigious program you were a part of, a prime candidate for any high profile opening elsewhere in the country. Why didn't you pursue such a thing?

JERRY SANDUSKY:

19:04:53:00 I did.

BOB COSTAS:

19:04:53:00 In 1999?

JERRY SANDUSKY:

19:04:56:00 I guess it would've been — in 2000.

BOB COSTAS:

19:05:03:00 What jobs did you pursue?

JERRY SANDUSKY:

19:05:04:00 Virginia.

BOB COSTAS:

19:05:07:00 And what happened? Were you interviewed there?

JERRY SANDUSKY:

19:05:08:00 Yes.

BOB COSTAS:

19:05:10:00 And did they do a background check on you? And did it reveal anything?

JERRY SANDUSKY:

19:05:13:00 I don't know what kind of checks they did. If they did, it wouldn't have revealed anything because I've had those checks and, you know, then and — and shortly after.

BOB COSTAS:

19:05:26:00 Are you prepared to accept a plea deal if your attorney says this is the best we can do?

JERRY SANDUSKY:

19:05:34:00 No.

BOB COSTAS:

19:05:35:00 And it involves an admission of substantial guilt? Would you accept that?

JERRY SANDUSKY:

19:05:39:00 No. Without knowing — you know, I say that — without knowing what in the world you're talking about or what they would be talking about. But I would say no, I'm not interested in it.

19:05:49:00(OFF-MIC CONVERSATION)

BOB COSTAS:

19:08:16:00 So you pursued the Virginia job in 2000. After that, you stopped looking for high profile college head coaching jobs?

JERRY SANDUSKY:

19:08:22:00 Right. For the most part. I — in terms of high profile. I considered going to like Becknell University — at one point. But — no high profile jobs, no.

BOB COSTAS:

19:08:35:00 A reasonable person might conclude that if there was an investigation in 1998, and then in 1999, a highly successful assistant coach takes early retirement and is disassociated from the university at least as an active coach that the university knew something about him, and they just wanted him to go away without too much fuss and muss. Isn't that a reasonable thing to conclude?

JERRY SANDUSKY:

19:08:59:00 Some people would think that would be plausible. It was not true. There was never any mention of that. There was a retirement window that was available — to me. And — and — I had talked — I had talked to the university actually about starting football at — at Penn State Altoona. So that there were — there were a number of things that — were happening. And it was never mentioned to me that — that I was having to leave because of — any kind of behavior. That was never.

BOB COSTAS:

19:09:39:00 In 2000 —

JERRY SANDUSKY:

19:09:39:00 And I was talked to, you know, prior — you know, prior to leaving, I was saying — was told, you know, I could stay.

BOB COSTAS:

19:09:48:00 You could stay as —

JERRY SANDUSKY:

19:09:50:00 I could stay at —

19:09:50:00(OVERTALK)

BOB COSTAS:

19:09:51:00 In your previous position?

JERRY SANDUSKY:

19:09:51:00 As an assistant coach. I was not going to become the head coach. No.

BOB COSTAS:

19:09:52:00 So they — they would've allowed you to stay as the defensive coordinator but you were not going to become the head coach is what they told you?

JERRY SANDUSKY:

19:09:59:00 Correct.

BOB COSTAS:

19:10:01:00 Shortly after that in 2000, a janitor said that he saw you performing oral sex on a young boy in the showers — in the Penn State locker facility. Did that happen?

JERRY SANDUSKY:

19:10:13:00 No.

BOB COSTAS:

19:10:14:00 How could somebody think they saw something as extreme and shocking as that when it hadn't occurred, and what would possibly be their motivation to fabricate it?

JERRY SANDUSKY:

19:10:24:00 You'd have to ask them.

BOB COSTAS:

19:10:26:00 It seems that if all of these accusations are false, you are the unluckiest and most persecuted man that any of us has ever heard about.

JERRY SANDUSKY:

19:10:39:00 (LAUGHS) I don't know what you want me to say. I — I don't think that these have been the best days of my life. The false allegations have stripped, you know, so much of our life away. And — and so many things that are dear to us. So.

BOB COSTAS:

19:11:04:00 How do you feel about what has happened to Penn State to Joe Paterno, and to the Penn State football program and your part in it?

JERRY SANDUSKY:

19:11:13:00 Well, how would you think that I would feel about a university that I attended, about people that I've worked with, about people that I care so much about. And — I mean — how do you think I would feel about it. I feel horrible. And — and —

BOB COSTAS:

19:11:39:00 You feel horrible. Do you feel culpable?

JERRY SANDUSKY:

19:11:43:00 I'm not sure I know what you mean.

BOB COSTAS:

19:11:42:00 Do you feel guilty? Do you feel like —

JERRY SANDUSKY:

19:11:44:00 Guilty —

BOB COSTAS:

19:11:44:00 —this is your fault?

JERRY SANDUSKY:

19:11:49:00 No I don't think it's my fault. I've obviously played a part in this. But —

BOB COSTAS:

19:12:00:00 How did —

JERRY SANDUSKY:

19:11:59:00 I don't think that I should have been — I should be accused as I have been.

BOB COSTAS:

19:12:05:00 How would you define the part you played? What are you willing to conceded that you've done that was wrong and you wish you had not done it?

JERRY SANDUSKY:

19:12:14:00 Well, in retrospect, I — you know, I — I shouldn't have showered with those kids. You know, some —

BOB COSTAS:

19:12:25:00 That's it?

JERRY SANDUSKY:

19:12:26:00 Well that — yeah, I — I — that's what hits me the most.

BOB COSTAS:

19:12:35:00 Do you intend to speak Joe Paterno out? Speak with him any time soon?

JERRY SANDUSKY:

19:12:41:00 No.

BOB COSTAS:

19:12:42:00 Why not?

JERRY SANDUSKY:

19:12:41:00 I mean, I — I don't even know what legal ramifications that would have. I — I don't know. I wouldn't know what to say — you know, right now to — to somebody who's been as devastated as — as he might be.

BOB COSTAS:

19:13:03:00 We can infer some of this —

JERRY SANDUSKY:

19:13:04:00 He is. He is I'm sure.

BOB COSTAS:

19:13:08:00 We can infer some of this from your tone of voice over the phone, but how would you characterize your own state of mind right now?

JERRY SANDUSKY:

19:13:15:00 Well I'm asking for the strength to — to face and fight this. That's — that's — that's my state of mind. And that's what I've asked for all along. And hopefully I'll have the strength and the courage to — to last through this. And to — and — and to fight — with all my heart.

BOB COSTAS:

19:13:42:00 What do you say to the families of those who are alleged victims? What would you like to say?

JERRY SANDUSKY:

19:13:50:00 What would I like to say to — you know, I think that what I think of this, I think of a lot of victims. I think — of a lot of people who have have been victims of — of this. And — and right now I — I'm not thinking about what I would say to those that have come forward with allegations. I think that you would — you would have to make that decision individually based on your judgment of them. But I think more of all the young people who have been hurt and the families, and — and the organizations. And —

BOB COSTAS:

19:14:39:00 What — what young people are you referring to when you mention that?

JERRY SANDUSKY:

19:14:42:00 All of the young people that have been helped by the Second Mile. All of the football players of Penn State. All of the coaches, all of the — people that work with them. Those are the ones that — that —

BOB COSTAS:

19:14:59:00 Obviously —

JERRY SANDUSKY:

19:15:00:00 I'm not — I'm not condoning actions, sexual — of — of young people. I'm not — I'm not saying I'm callous about that. But I — you know, I'm — I'm also not callous about what this has done to — to so many.

BOB COSTAS:

19:15:25:00 Obviously you're entitled to a presumption of innocence and you'll receive a vigorous defense. On the other hand, there is a tremendous amount of information out there and fair-minded common sense people have concluded that you are guilty of monstrous acts. And they are particularly unforgiving with the type of crimes that have been alleged here. And so millions of Americans who didn't know Jerry Sandusky's name until a week ago now regard you not only as a criminal, but I say this I think in a considered way, but as some sort of monster. How do you respond to them?

JERRY SANDUSKY:

19:16:06:00 I — you know, at this point in time, I — I can't respond to all of that. There's — you know, to be honest, you know, people have created this perception. They've created someone that I don't believe I am. And I don't know what I can say or what I could say that would make anybody feel any different now. I would just say that if somehow people could hang out until my attorney has a chance to fight, you know, for my innocence. That — that's about all I could ask right now. And — you know, obviously, it — it's a huge challenge.

BOB COSTAS:

19:17:12:00 Mister Sandusky, thank you.

JERRY SANDUSKY:

19:17:13:00 Thank you.

BOB COSTAS:

19:17:16:00 Joseph Amendola, attorney for Jerry Sandusky. Let's just establish this. That was your client. That was his voice?

JOE AMENDOLA:

19:17:23:00 Oh, that was. Yes.

BOB COSTAS:

19:17:26:00 We have here a 40-count indictment and a grand jury report that has some specific detail, multiple accusers. We have witnesses in some cases to various aspects of what's been alleged. It's kind of the standard procedure for a defense attorney in cases like this to undermine or attempt to undermine the credibility or the motives of an accuser. But in this case, there's so many accusers. There's so much coming from so many different directions. How can you possibly hope to establish reasonable doubt?

JOE AMENDOLA:

19:18:00:00 You take the case apart piece by piece. And it — when you do it, and you put it in that perspective, Bob, it becomes much more manageable. I've worked with Jerry — Sandusky on this case with the initial allegation that goes back over three years ago, and Jerry has maintained his innocence from the outset of that first allegation made by a young — a teenage boy in Clinton County, which is just east of State College.

19:18:26:00 And Jerry had steadfastly maintained his innocence. Do you realize over the course of the three-year grand jury we didn't even have specifics because of its secrecy until we got the presentment, the same documents that — that you folks in the media got.

19:18:41:00 And as we went through that presentment, and when you — when you look at it individually, one through eight — 'cause there — there are eight alleged victims contained in that presentment, two of them have yet to be identified. And — one of them, the one in the number eight — number — number eight allegation supposedly was seen involved in oral sex with Jerry — by a custodian who now is suffering from dementia. And that information came to the grand jury secondhand.

19:19:09:00 Jerry has denied that allegation as he has the other ones. But when you — when you look at this step by step, and you start piecing together who these kids are — because we have a good handle on that now — what we intend to show the public and the media is that Jerry didn't do any of these allegations, and didn't — didn't commit any of these vile acts. Was he touchy feely, yes. Was he a hands-on type of — type of guy, yes. As a matter of fact, he's been called an overgrown kid. Two of the kids — two of the kids contained in the allegations are friends. They still see Jerry. In fact, they had lunch and dinner with him and his wife this past summer. And —

BOB COSTAS:

19:19:51:00 That's not uncommon for victims of abuse.

JOE AMENDOLA:

19:19:54:00 And that's —

BOB COSTAS:

19:19:56:00 Their own feelings are confused, their reports are often delayed because of shame or confusion. A lot of these things are part of the syndrome.

JOE AMENDOLA:

19:20:02:00 And — and that's the response that obviously we anticipate we'll get. So what's going to happen when people actually have to testify in a courtroom, in a court of law, and are going to be exposed to cross examination and information that we've developed. We think at that point Jerry will get a much fairer shake in terms of the allegations that have been made.

BOB COSTAS:

19:20:24:00 It — it would appear to a layman that perhaps you could cast doubt on some of the particulars, but there's so much here that the best you could hope for is to concede some of it, try and deny the worst of it, and minimize the consequences to your client —

JOE AMENDOLA:

19:20:38:00 Well that's —

BOB COSTAS:

19:20:40:00 —and go for some leniency.

JOE AMENDOLA:

19:20:38:00 And that's — and that's — and — and that's one of the views, obviously, that at some point we have to consider. Not even necessarily because Jerry is guilty, but because of the overwhelming amount of information that the Commonwealth, in this case, the attorney general's office is going to put out there.

19:20:55:00 But I will say this. That there are certain parts of these allegations which we intend to disprove — dramatically. And we're just not able to do it now. It's not the right time. But I can tell you that we have — we had been working very hard to identify some of these kids, and our understanding are these kids are going to say something very different than what's been alleged.

BOB COSTAS:

19:21:18:00 Do you have children? Or grandchildren?

JOE AMENDOLA:

19:21:22:00 Oh I do. I have children.

BOB COSTAS:

19:21:23:00 Would you allow your own children to be alone with your client?

JOE AMENDOLA:

19:21:26:00 Absolutely. I — I — I believe in Jerry's innocence. Quite honestly, Bob, that's why I'm involved in the case. If I —

BOB COSTAS:

19:21:35:00 You believe in his innocence?

JOE AMENDOLA:

19:21:35:00 His innocence.

BOB COSTAS:

19:21:37:00 Not that you just can mitigate his guilt. You believe in his innocence?

JOE AMENDOLA:

19:21:40:00 I believe in his innocence.

BOB COSTAS:

19:21:42:00 How can you account — what's the motive for so many people to level accusations of such despicable behavior? What is their motive?

JOE AMENDOLA:

19:21:51:00 Well now we're back to the specific allegations. And what I can tell you in particular the '98 situation, for example. When he apologized to the boy's mother, he didn't apologize because he had done anything sexual. He apologized for being in the shower with him. And he apologized for — for basically putting him in that environment where he could be misconstrued.

BOB COSTAS:

19:22:11:00 Isn't that minimally highly inappropriate? Minimally?

JOE AMENDOLA:

19:22:16:00 Would — would I do it, no. Would you do it, no. But Jerry did it. But that doesn't make him guilty of the allegations, Bob.

BOB COSTAS:

19:22:25:00 That — that alone does not make him guilty of some of the specific allegations. But there's a body of evidence here and suspicions coming from different directions. Various programs that have said, you know, after a while, Uh-uh (NEGATIVE) he shouldn't be here. Doesn't that cumulatively work against him?

JOE AMENDOLA:

19:22:41:00 Well there's —

BOB COSTAS:

19:22:42:00 And there's too much here to refute.

JOE AMENDOLA:

19:22:43:00 It's — it's part of the challenge to the case. I mean, it's an uphill battle. No one's — no one's denying that there's — there's a real battle here that has to be fought and won — to prove his innocence. But that's what we're — that's what we're in the process of doing.

BOB COSTAS:

19:22:56:00 You expect additional charges or revelations?

JOE AMENDOLA:

19:22:59:00 It would not surprise me. Just by the nature of the allegations and the fact at this point, I think there may be people out there who may not necessarily be victims, but will be looking at lawsuits, and a hearing that Penn State may be involved, and certainly probably will be involved in lawsuits. Wouldn't surprise me at all to see other people come forward now and say Jerry abused me.

19:23:18:00 And how do you — how do you — how do you defend against that. I mean, if someone said gee Bob in 1997 — you — you abused me when I was 15 years old. And if you had access to me, or if you had the opportunity to be around me, how in the world do you defend against something like that? And that — that's part of the battle we have.

BOB COSTAS:

19:23:37:00 Many abusers were themselves abused as children. Will you claim that concerning your client now — now?

JOE AMENDOLA:

19:23:46:00 Jerry hasn't and wasn't abused as a child. And — and he's maintained he didn't abuse any of these kids.

BOB COSTAS:

19:23:53:00 Every defendant, no matter how heinous the charges against him or her, is entitled to a vigorous and competent defense. That's what you intend to provide. On the other hand, defending Jerry Sandusky is not a ticket to winning a popularity contest at the end.

JOE AMENDOLA:

19:24:09:00 Tell me about it.

BOB COSTAS:

19:24:09:00 We — we understand from an academic standpoint why you or one of your colleagues would take the case. But you also understand that many people simply say and would want me to ask this question. How can you defend this man?

JOE AMENDOLA:

19:24:22:00 Because he's maintaining his innocence. And because he's maintaining his innocence, and I've seen all the good work he has done over the years with so many kids, including the — including the six he adopted. He and his wife adopted six kids. Three of whom were foster kids, and he raised three other foster kids. And we've reached out to those kids, and there's absolutely no hit in terms of —

BOB COSTAS:

19:24:43:00 Isn't entirely possible that a person could do abundant good work in their life, and then also be guilty of horrible criminal acts?

JOE AMENDOLA:

19:24:49:00 Of course. Of course that's possible.

BOB COSTAS:

19:24:52:00 What happens if in the course of researching your defense you no longer believe your client? What do you do?

JOE AMENDOLA:

19:24:58:00 Well then he and I would have to have a serious discussion as to how we were going to proceed. And at that point, if that were to happen — and right now I don't have any information from our end to — to suggest that that's the case, Bob. But if that were to happen, I think that the — the — the whole — the whole — structure of the defense would shift to where you talked about earlier to mitigating.

BOB COSTAS:

19:25:18:00 To a plea deal?

JOE AMENDOLA:

19:25:21:00 Mitigating the damage as opposed to defending. But right now, we have no reason — I have no reason to believe that. In fact, I'm being told — I'm being told by some of the kids who allegedly were the victims in these cases that what — what's being alleged didn't happen. In fact, one of the — one of the toughest allegations, that McQueary violations, the — what McQueary said he saw, we have information that that child says that never happened. Now grown up. Now — now — a person in his 20's.

BOB COSTAS:

19:25:51:00 Until now, we were told that that alleged victim could not be identified. You have —

JOE AMENDOLA:

19:25:54:00 By the Commonwealth.

BOB COSTAS:

19:25:54:00 You have identified?

JOE AMENDOLA:

19:25:57:00 We — we think we have.

BOB COSTAS:

19:25:57:00 So you found him. The Commonwealth has not?

JOE AMENDOLA:

19:25:59:00 Yeah. Interesting isn't it.

BOB COSTAS:

19:25:59:00 The grand — the grand jury did not have access?

JOE AMENDOLA:

19:26:02:00 Well — well, no. Well, as a matter of fact, the grand jury, the police and the investigators interviewed a number of people who they didn't call before the grand jury. I believe what happened so far is that this young man was interviewed but he didn't come out and say this allegation took place because it didn't take place.

BOB COSTAS:

19:26:21:00 Two things quickly before we wrap up here. Is it possible to empanel an impartial jury anywhere in the state of Pennsylvania?

JOE AMENDOLA:

19:26:29:00 I don't know if we could impanel an impartial jury anywhere in the country right now to be — to be honest with you, with the national coverage that this case has gotten.

BOB COSTAS:

19:26:38:00 So what do you do?

JOE AMENDOLA:

19:26:37:00 Well we give it time. And we let things cool off and typically, in cases like this, the information will die down at some point. There'll be a period when — when there isn't much being reported. But the bottom line is, as you know, these allegations take on — take on such a — vile nature, that people just — when they hear the whole idea of child abuse, especially with some of the graphic allegations contained in the presentment to the grand jury entered in Jerry's case, it's tough to overcome that. And that's going to be one of our major challenges. How do we overcome that. But we do have some information that we're working on. And — all I can tell the media folks is stay tuned. Because — it's just not time to reveal that yet.

BOB COSTAS:

19:27:19:00 You said a few days ago much more is going to come out in our defense. In broad terms, what?

JOE AMENDOLA:

19:27:29:00 We expect we're going to have a number of kids. Now how many of those so-called eight kids, we're not sure. But we anticipate we're going to have at least several of those kids come forward and say this never happened. This is me. This is the allegation. It never occurred. I — I think that's going to be very telling.

19:27:46:00 And as I said earlier, you take a case like this apart piece by piece. You don't look at the whole picture you can't possibly look at the entire indictment at this point in time and say well we're just going to beat everything here. We want to take it apart piece by piece.

19:28:03:00 And we think that when we do that, and we attack the — the — the biggest allegations, including the — including the McQueary one. If we can prove that that didn't happen, I think people will start listening. And once people start listening as Jerry said, just give him a fair shake, I think we'll be in a much better — much better position to defend that.

19:28:21:00 And the other thing that just strikes me as really being — really being — absolutely off the wall in this case that people have accepted McQueary told the people at Penn State he saw this anal sex occurring, and they just told Jerry just don't get in the showers anymore with the kids. I mean, that — that — that shocks me. I know these people. They're not my friends, but I know them. They're very professional. I find that absolutely incredible. In fact, they're saying McQueary didn't tell them that.

BOB COSTAS:

19:28:48:00 In 30 seconds, two things quickly here. Do you believe there was a widespread cover up at Penn State that went beyond the reporting of the 2002 incident in the shower that was reported by McQueary?

JOE AMENDOLA:

19:28:59:00 No. as a matter of fact, the best way to have covered this up would've been to expose it when it occurred if it occurred. Because by letting it go, if these Penn State officials including the coach knew about this, what they were doing was setting up the disaster that has now taken place. Because they allowed Jerry to continue to not only socialize with the football team, but also get the football players involved in his Second Mile project.

19:29:23:00 And everybody knew that. You know, he was on the football practice field several times a week, every week during football season, with McQueary and all the other coaches. And it defies any explanation whatsoever that Jerry could have done these horrible things, and life would just go on as usually with all these people who — are accused of knowing about it.

BOB COSTAS:

19:29:42:00 Last thing. Why are you doing this? And why did you allow your client to do it tonight?

JOE AMENDOLA:

19:29:47:00 Because I needed to get his side of this out. And at least get — get started in the process of saying to people he's maintained his innocence, and we're going to do our damndest to establish that. And I'm asking the media and I'm asking the public to — to give him a fair shake. To see how the evidence plays out. Do you realize there hasn't been a day in court yet. The grand jury's a one-sided instrument used by the prosecutor to pursue prosecutions against people. I find it very interesting they used their prosecution to charge two Penn State administrators with perjury based upon the so-called testimony of another third party who appeared before the grand jury. And I think that there could be some sort of agenda there that we're trying to figure out and — and see where it takes us.